A dedicated shower stall is often preferred by a user compared to a shower that uses a bathtub as a base for a combined bath and shower area. The shower stall is typically located adjacent an existing wall in a bathroom or adjacent two walls in the corner of the bathroom, the latter being the more space conserving than the former.
Wall panels, which are made from glass, or transparent or semi-transparent material, can be used as one of the walls of a shower stall. The wall panels, together with a shower door, enclose the shower stall and prevent water splashing onto the floor surrounding the shower stall. Typically, a shower base, or pan, has a flat perimeter wall upper surface which is used to connect the lower part of the wall panel to the pan. The wall panel, which may be framed, sits on the perimeter surface and is fixed thereto using screws or bolts. To ensure a water-tight seal, a line of caulk is employed around the join where the wall panel is connected to the perimeter surface.
Some shower pans have been designed with a U-shaped groove located in the flat perimeter surface to permit location of the lower portion of the wall panel therein. While this design addresses some of the problems of having to mechanically fix the wall panel to the pan, it also has a number of drawbacks. Installation of the wall panel may be problematic because an adhesive is typically used to secure the wall panel in the U-shaped groove. Over time, the adhesive may deteriorate such that water leaks may occur at the joint between the wall panel and the perimeter wall which can result in water spillage outside of the shower stall. One significant disadvantage of these designs is that if water escapes to the outside of the wall panel, its return to the pan, and therefore the shower drain is prevented.
Thus there is a need for a wall panel holder that significantly reduces or essentially eliminates the problems associated with conventional wall panel holders.
The shower base, or pan, can be made of a plastic material such as polypropylene.